Short answer
There is no difference. In Dutch, kabelrups, energieketen, energieketting, kabelketting, sleepketting and kabelsleep are all names for the same product, just like cable carrier, energy chain and drag chain in English. Which carrier fits depends on series, dimensions and design, not on the name.
Kabelrups, energieketen, energieketting, kabelketting, sleepketting and kabelsleep: in Dutch these are all the same product. A chain of links that safely guides cables and hoses along with a moving machine part. So the name says nothing about the quality or suitability of a carrier.
Still, it helps to know the names. You will come across all of them in drawings, parts lists and quotes from suppliers in different countries. In this article you will read where the names come from, what they are called in English and German, and what you should compare instead. What a cable carrier does exactly is explained in what is a cable carrier.
Where do all these names come from?
Each name describes a different side of the same product:
- Kabelrups (cable caterpillar): the most common Dutch name. The chain rolls along the travel path the way a caterpillar moves.
- Energieketen or energieketting (energy chain): the carrier supplies energy to the moving part: power, air, hydraulics or coolant.
- Kabelketting (cable chain): after its construction from links, like a chain.
- Sleepketting or kabelsleep (drag chain): the carrier is dragged along by the moving part. These names come from German.
- E-ketting (e-chain): a short form of energy chain that you mainly come across in the workshop and in catalogues.
On its website Wisman mainly uses kabelrups (cable carrier). Search for any of the other names and you end up at the same range of cable carriers.
What is a cable carrier called in English and German?
If you work with foreign machine builders or with documentation from Germany, this list helps:
| Language | Common names |
|---|---|
| Dutch | Kabelrups, energieketen, energieketting, kabelketting, sleepketting, kabelsleep |
| English | Cable carrier, energy chain, cable chain, drag chain, cable track |
| German | Energiekette, Energieführungskette, Schleppkette, Kabelschlepp |
Kabelschlepp is also a brand name: Tsubaki Kabelschlepp, the manufacturer for which Wisman is the exclusive dealer in the Netherlands. You can read more about the manufacturer on the Tsubaki Kabelschlepp page.
Also confusing: names for the parts
It is not just the carrier itself that has many names. The same goes for its parts, and that is where orders go wrong more often:
| Part | Other names |
|---|---|
| Links | Side links, chain links |
| Dividers | Crossbars, cross members, traverses |
| End fixings | Connectors, mounting brackets, end pieces |
| Dividers | Separators, partitions |
| Shelves | Shelves, levels |
| Bending radius | Bending radius, KR |
What each part does and when to replace it is explained in parts of a cable carrier. It also explains how to reorder individual parts.
So where is the difference?
Not in the name, but in the design. Two carriers that are both called energy chains can do completely different things. These are the differences that matter:
- Material: plastic for most machines, steel for heavy, hot or long applications. See plastic or steel.
- Open or closed: open for easy laying in and inspection, closed against chips and dirt. Closed cable carriers such as the TKA are made to keep dirt, chips and splash water out.
- Layout: unsupported for short travel, gliding in a channel for long travel.
- Size: from compact series such as MONO for small machines to the steel S/SX for heavy work.
- Opening: in some series the crossbars open on the inside or outside of the bend, in others you press the cables into elastic lamellae without opening anything.
Comparing quotes: look at the figures, not the name
If you receive offers from different suppliers, they may use a different name, a different type code and a different spelling. Compare them side by side on the data that determine how the carrier behaves:
| Data | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Inner height | Determines the thickest cable that fits: cable diameter at most inner height / 1.1 |
| Inner width | Determines how many cables and hoses fit side by side |
| Bending radius | Must be at least 7.5 × the thickest cable, preferably 10 × for frequent movement |
| Pitch | Determines the length per link and partly the noise |
| Outer dimensions | Must fit in the space in your machine |
| Material and version | Plastic or steel, open or closed |
| Permitted travel and speed | Unsupported and gliding each have their own limits |
So two carriers with a different name can do exactly the same thing, and two with the same name can be very different. If any of these figures is missing from a quote, ask for it. How to read the dimensions is explained in cable carrier dimensions explained.
Replacing an existing carrier, but which name is on it?
If you need to replace a worn or broken carrier, you often no longer know what it was called or which brand it is. You do not need to. Measure the inner height, inner width, bending radius and pitch, note the travel and check whether the fixed point is in the middle or at the end.
With those dimensions the Replacement guide looks for a suitable type in our range. You can send along the brand and type number of your current carrier, and a specialist will take a look. Read more about the approach in replacing an energy chain.
Calculate it yourselfReplacement guideThe replacement for your worn or broken cable carrierOpen the replacement finderFor a new machine, you start with the cable package. In the Cable carrier configurator you enter the travel and cables and see which series fit, whatever you call the carrier. Prefer a price right away? Request a quote for a cable carrier.
Frequently asked questions
Is an energy chain the same as a cable carrier?
Yes. Energy chain, cable carrier, cable chain and drag chain are names for the same product: a chain of links that guides cables and hoses along with a moving machine part.
What is a sleepketting?
Sleepketting (drag chain) is another Dutch name for a cable carrier. The name comes from German (Schleppkette) and refers to the chain being dragged along by the moving part.
What is a kabelrups called in English?
In English a kabelrups is usually called a cable carrier, energy chain or drag chain. Cable track and cable chain are also used.
Is Kabelschlepp a brand or a product?
Both. Kabelschlepp is the German word for a drag chain and also the name of the manufacturer Tsubaki Kabelschlepp. Wisman is the exclusive dealer of Tsubaki Kabelschlepp in the Netherlands.
Can I replace a cable carrier from another brand?
Yes. The brand does not matter, the dimensions do. With the inner height, inner width, bending radius and pitch you can find a suitable type, for example with the Replacement guide.
Next step
Calculate it yourself or browse the range. We check your result free of charge.
Series on this topic
Question about this topic?
Ask Olaf directly
Inside Sales at Wisman Techniek
